Meet Mr. Motivated!

Got back from the Alleghan trip on Sunday afternoon. It was as wonderful as I thought it was going to be. Better, actually. I found myself sitting on a comfy couch, after the show, drinking Mike's Hard Cranberry Lemonades (supercheap thanks to the owner), chatting about the show and life with the girls in the show and Hendo, absolutely exahausted from the whole show experience. A very happy time. Of course, those moments of quiet contentment are never captured in pictures.

But pictures of my bare ass or Ryan looking like a gay pornstar? Those pictures got taken with no problems. I'll post them some time soon. Greg and I need to exchange picture disks this Saturday, at the show.

Seriously. My big, white, bare ass. The horror. The horror.

It was funny at the time.

That was this weekend. Today, I am looking forward, at my prospects.

Maybe it's the light workflow today, but I am very, VERY motivated to plan out my next plan of attack. My next opportunity. I recently got feedback that two other opportunities aren't going to come to fruition (The Reader wrote me a very nice letter, thanking me for my submission, but rejecting the story idea and The Playground elections just went to someone else. And probably not the someone else you'd think it would go to, either.) I'm fine with both rejections. It feels like I can put my nose to the grindstone and get more work done in other areas, instead.

For example, Craigslist has posted two more Extras Companies in Chicago that are looking to register people. I have contact info for both and will respond to them today! I'm also culling the Chicago Craigslist entries for more info about writing gigs and applying for everything that I am the least bit appropriate for.

I've also begun researching the Touring Show auditions for Second City. My run in with "the producer there who really didn't like me very much" in April turned things around completely. She was nice and open and excited to see me. She had two small problems and I solved both of them for her, effortlessly and she went out of her way, as she was leaving, to say "goodbye" to me. So, whatever used to annoy her about me, seems to be completely lost and forgotten.
Which opens up a HUGE opportunity for me.
I can now audition for her theater, without fearing that she'll just sandbag me from the get-go. That's literally kept me out of auditions for years now.
With that change in the weather, I am ready to audition for them now. I'm very excited about getting to audition for that theater. That's something that I wanted to do, when I moved here. I'm glad it's finally going to happen.
So, I began researching today to see if there is any info posted about when the auditions are going to happen. From what I can see online, it looks like they were in October of last year, with notice happening in September. I've already marked my Daily Planner to start checking online for info in September.
And mentally, I am ready for those auditions. I am excited and confident and in control of who I am and how I improvise. And if that translates to an appealing onstage presence, then sign me up!

I've also begun to budget for headshots. After that, it's off to the casting agencies to start looking for work there.

I don't know where all of this will lead me. I don't know that strong motivation is going to translate to success. But I DO know that nothing will ever happen, if I don't try.

Add to that, my excitement about the upcoming BBR Martyrs show (with my first duet with Hendo) and beginning the process of shaping "Fugue" in rehearsals, added to the pleasures of working on the short film group, and I am very much fulfilled creatively, right now.

Onward and Upward,
Mr. Motivated